22 Mar 2013

Easter Bunny Cupcakes

So it was the first day of spring the other day, although seeing as where I live has just been covered in a thick blanket of snow again, it doesn't really feel like it. This year has been so weird weather-wise, in that I've been complaining for years about how it just never seems to snow in England anymore and then BAM, it snows so much that I actually start resenting it (only a tiiiiny bit though, I do love the snow). It can be a little annoying when you read blogs by people who live in places like California and they talk about how warm it's getting, about all of the flowers and the fruit that is in season...(wait, did I only say a tiny bit??)

However, the sort of weather that renders me housebound does have an upside and that is that I can justify spending more time baking treats, including these Easter bunny cupcakes.

On your baking paper you need to draw out 12 bunny ear shapes. Then flip the paper over so you don't get pencil in your chocolate and place onto a board or tray, something that will fit in your fridge. You then need to melt approximately 400g of white chocolate in a heat proof bowl over simmering water. When melted turn off the heat but leave over the water to keep it warm. Dip your pastry brush into the chocolate and simply colour in the shapes of the bunny ears with chocolate. Place in the fridge to set and then repeat this process until you get them thick enough so that they won't melt really quickly! Leave them in the fridge until you need them.

Next roll out your pink icing and cut out a shape similar to the ears, but smaller. This will be the inside of your bunny ears. Carefully place one shape on each chocolate ear, then return to the fridge.

You then you need to melt the other 400g of white chocolate in a heat proof bowl over simmering water until melted, then gradually mix in the milk. Mix until smooth, then take off the heat and leave to cool and thicken slightly. Pour over your cupcakes, then take your bunny ears and carefully push two into each cupcake. Place in the fridge to set.

I appreciate there is a lot of chocolate in this recipe, but sometimes things in life call for a lot of chocolate. I actually first used this technique of making shapes with chocolate in my children's cookery book, The Little Book of Creative Cookingin a recipe for Snowman Pops which you can see here. I am in the process of trying to get my book published, so if any of you are interested in it, please let me know and I will then make sure I keep you up to date on its progress.More Easter yumminess coming up soon, but until then, I hope you have a great Friday.